Nov. 13-15, 2026
Stephens College
Columbia, MO
The member-led MNEA Foundation Fall Conference will be November 13–15, 2026, at Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri—and you won't want to miss it. Join union members from across the state for an inspiring weekend of solidarity, professional learning, and celebration!
Register by Oct. 16
No Cost for the Fall Conference
The MNEA Foundation hosts this event free of charge for MNEA members. Registrants may choose to make a contribution to benefit the MNEA Foundation during registration.
Conference Schedule Highlights
Don't miss this opportunity to learn, grow, and network with your peers in a vibrant, supportive environment.
Register by Oct. 16 >
Friday, Nov. 13: Opening Session & Keynote
- Registration: 4–8 p.m.
- General Session: 6–8 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 14: Member-Led Professional Learning Workshops
- Registration: 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
- Sessions: 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Tentative Agenda with Session Descriptions (PDF)
Saturday Evening: 2nd Annual MNEA Foundation Gala
(must purchase tickets)
- VIP Pre-party: 6–7 p.m.
- GALA Dinner Presentation: 7–9 p.m.
- GALA After-Party: 9–11 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 15: MNEA-PAC Sustainer Legislative Brunch (for PAC Sustainers only, Sign Up to Give)
- Exclusive, in-depth conversation with key Missouri legislators regarding the issues that matter most to educators: 9–11 a.m.
Accommodations
Participants are responsible for their own lodging. After you register, you will receive a list of hotels with an MNEA room block to choose from.
Friday, Nov. 13: Opening Session
Keynote Speaker: Cornelius Minor
Cornelius Minor, a Brooklyn-based educator, works with teachers, school leaders, and leaders of community-based organizations to support equitable literacy reform in cities (and sometimes villages) worldwide. His latest book, We Got This, explores how creating more equitable school spaces is embedded in our everyday choices—specifically, the choice to really listen to kids.
Minor's work has been featured in Education Week, Brooklyn Magazine, and Teaching Tolerance Magazine. He has partnered with The Teachers College Reading and Writing Project, The New York City Department of Education, The International Literacy Association, and Lesley University’s Center for Reading Recovery and Literacy Collaborative.
Out of Print, a documentary featuring Cornelius, has circulated on the film festival circuit, and he has been a featured speaker at conferences worldwide. Most recently, along with his partner and wife, Kass Minor, he has established The Minor Collective, a community-based movement designed to foster sustainable change in schools.
Whether working with educators and kids in Los Angeles, Seattle, or New York City, Cornelius uses his love for technology, hip-hop, and social media to bring communities together. As a teacher, Cornelius draws not only on his years teaching middle school in the Bronx and Brooklyn, but also on time spent skateboarding, shooting hoops, and working with young people.
Saturday, Nov. 14: MNEA Foundation Gala
Stephens College, Columbia, MO
Attire: Cocktail/formal dress, please
(must purchase tickets)
VIP Pre-party: 6–7 p.m.
GALA Dinner Presentation: 7–9 p.m.
GALA After-Party: 9–11 p.m.
Prepare yourself for an upscale evening celebrating public education in Missouri and honoring those who have made outstanding contributions. The Second Annual MNEA Gala will include a reception, silent auction, program, dinner, and after-party.
GALA TICKETS
These tickets must be pre-purchased. Registration closes Oct. 16.
VIP TICKET $150.00
(Table of 8: $1,250)
Includes access to the pre-event reception with an open bar, the Gala program and dinner, one drink ticket for the cash bar during the gala, the after-party, and an autographed copy of the guest speaker's book.
GENERAL TICKET $100.00
(Table of 8: $800)
Enjoy the Gala program, dinner, music, dancing, and a cash bar at the after-party.
Guest Speaker: Wade Rouse
Pen Name: Viola Shipman
Wade Rouse is a USA TODAY, Publishers Weekly, and #1 internationally bestselling author of 21 books, including memoirs, novels, and holiday novellas. His work has been translated into nearly 30 languages, and several novels have been optioned for film and television. His books have been featured by NBC’s Today Show, selected as Indie Next Picks, and recognized as Michigan Notable Books. A former journalist and People magazine reporter, Rouse has also written for publications including Time, Good Housekeeping, Forbes, and Writer’s Digest.
His latest novel, That’s What Friends Are For, marks the first novel published under his own name after years of writing fiction as Viola Shipman, a pen name honoring his grandmother. Inspired by The Golden Girls, the novel has already been named one of 2027’s most anticipated books and has earned praise from bestselling authors including Jodi Picoult. Set in Palm Springs, the story follows a close-knit group of friends whose carefully crafted lives are upended when family secrets and unexpected visitors arrive at their door.
Rouse’s previous novels, including The Page Turner, The Wishing Bridge, and Famous in a Small Town, have been national bestsellers and featured by Good Morning America, PEOPLE, and other major media outlets. He is also an acclaimed writing teacher and mentor whose students have gone on to become published authors. Rouse divides his time between Saugatuck, Michigan, and Palm Springs, California, and hosts the popular weekly Facebook Live literary happy hour, “Wine & Words with Wade.”
This event will benefit the Missouri NEA Foundation.
The Missouri NEA Foundation was established in 1993 as the MNEA Charitable Fund. Its initial charitable work involved collecting and distributing donations to members who were affected by the 1993 Missouri flood. One of its first projects was raising funds in partnership with the Get Ahead Foundation to build a school in Mbotji, South Africa. The HOPE─Humanitarian Outreach Project for Education─was later created to continue helping students and members in times of critical need. The MNEA Foundation also oversees the administration of several scholarships and grants:
- CHEER Grant
- HOPE Grant
- Gilbert Balderrama Scholarship
- Cochran Scholarship
- Favero-Karlovetz Scholarship
MNEA-PAC Sustainer
Legislative Brunch
Sunday, Nov. 15, 2026
9:00am - 11:00am
Stephens College
Columbia, MO
Register by Oct. 16
Join us for an exclusive, in-depth conversation with key Missouri legislators regarding the issues that matter most to educators. This curated town hall format will provide a clear picture of the current landscape in Jefferson City. We will move beyond the headlines to discuss the status of critical bills, potential impacts on public education, and strategic next steps.
Help us build MNEA-PAC by setting up a $5 monthly contribution.
All contributions are voluntary, stay in Missouri, and are entirely separate from dues.
Set up a $5 Monthly Contribution
Your recurring contribution will get you an exclusive invitation to the MNEA-PAC Legislative Brunch.